Perhaps, I Was Unclear?
by LibraMoon
Summary: He was Romulan, a Sub-Commander in full prime and glory. Or he was until James Kirk walked into his life that freezing day he and his men were held captive. He would have her. She belonged to him. The only problem was she did not seem to understand that fact. Companion piece to 'What part of 'No' did you not understand' Extreme AU: Fem/Kirk.KirkxMaelrok One shot.


**Alright! Alright, Violet-kyusuke, you and several other readers wanted some Maelrok time? Here it is! The KirkxMaelrok one-shot I promised!**

**Rated M, I own nothing. Sadly.**

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Kilithous Prime. The deadened landscape cast in shades of gray, black, and white gleamed at him in a mocking glare. The snow, that bitterly cold frozen water which had never seemed of consequence before, clung to any surface his eyes could see. His men huddled to keep a modicum of warmth in their veins. His body too, called out for warmth. However, his men's morale was already desperately low. Let them find strength in his show of bravado. Let the snow freeze him into a statuesque corpse to remind these savages of the determination of his species.

He cursed the place to the very depths of a black hole and back. It was a place without honor, and he swore in every fiber of his being for taking that damn distress call. It had seemed worth his time and strategically sound to move in like a bird of prey and snap up a new ally. His mind had played out a thousand scenarios as to how to handle the natives, and what he would find.

This decidedly despicable display, however, had not been one of them.

The frigid land chilled his bones, as the equally frosty wind nipped at his skin. He forced back the discomfort as much as his mind would allow. He had been trained for any manner of interrogation or torture tactic. Extreme temperate was among his training, but the Sub-commander could feel his blood becoming dangerously cool. His advanced physiology to these slug-born creatures alerted him to the very serious possibility that he and his men would die from exposure.

He would not bend to them. He would never bow or cheapen his life at the expense of his house and empire.

He was Romulan.

Every last speck of dirt on this planet could disintegrate to their Sun before his will would change.

They had used base strategies. He spat at the ground in distaste and watched apathetically as the liquid nearly froze on contact with the ground. Maelrok growled lowly under his breath. They would not live much past the night if this continued. Penned like animals to the slaughter outside and left to rot under the watchful fuchsia eyes of the species.

The crunching of much hated snow alerted him. He calmly turned toward the sound, his back as straight as a line and his held high. As suited any true Romulan. He looked down on these primitive species and their wretched tactics. It would have been in him to commend them for such resourcefulness, had they been allies.

These _creatures_ were not allies. They were his enemies and he would destroy them.

The slug beings came forward, fuchsia eyes twirling to reflect the light. Their speckled bodies scrunched and wiggled in a disgusting manner that caused his stomach to clench in time with their movements. His heated gaze stared them down and their weapons, which used the sub-zero frost of their planet to full advantage.

"Touch me again, and I'll remove that tentacle… thing for you," a voice echoed across the small canyon.

Maelrok watched passively as they drew closer.

The speckled bodies of the natives had hidden a troupe of humans. He narrowed his gaze at the thought of more inferior species being present. His men made no sound or movement from their huddle. He waved them to continue with survival being paramount.

He would face these new comers, and with little effort on his part, he would cow them into submission.

A disheveled human female led the pack. They were chained together, as Maelrok and his men had been as they were led into this forsaken cage.

He shivered at the latest gust of freezing wind, and noted with a strange perverse satisfaction that the humans trembled.

'_A weak species, with even less resistance to the cold than Romulans,'_ he judged brashly. His distaste for humans knowing very few bounds, for the ships they had destroyed in combat had held nothing but simpering weaklings. He nearly spat in disgust over what he considered a fact that those sniveling whelps had been the best humanity had to offer.

How they had survived this long, he would never understand. He was certain, as in most species, that humanity held one or possibly two worthy opponents. Though he was being generous with that estimation, Maelrok considered himself the very essence of Romulan kindness and sincerity; as well as a veritable paragon of Romulan honor and decorum.

He landed a dark gaze on the Kilithous Prime natives. The _Kiliti_, as they had rudely declared themselves. He would see the sky burn on their pathetic homeworld for this indignation.

Every last one of them would pay with their lives.

As he brooded, the humans were both pushed and shoved into their exposed enclosure. Maelrok found their rounded ears to be borderline vulgar. He watched them all with a look of revulsion he did not bother to hide. Let them see how inferior they truly were. The pale pinkness of their flesh or the darker tones of a few of the human gathering both fascinated and bothered him. They had such a strange variety of color it was almost laughable.

He found most of them to be as intelligent as tribbles, and about as intimidating.

Summarily, he was about to turn his back when the light of Kilithous Prime's main sun Barrandi reflected off golden strands of hair. Maelrok had never been one given to fancy, but the pale locks cascading down the back of a rather slim female. He felt his breath catch in his throat.

Which in the frigid air, caused the action to burn.

A scraggly looking dark-haired male human hollered.

"Damnit! Don't you touch her!" The male snarled at a Kiliti.

The native responded to the harsh tone with a swift snapping of a tentacle arm across the man's face. He toppled to the ground, and Maelrok noted that humans had less than ideal balance. He watched with interest as the female he had been observing rushed to the man's side after breaking the hold of the Kiliti that held her.

She slammed the full force of her weight into one that struck the male.

"Get the hell away from him," she hissed lowly.

Maelrok had to suppress the shiver of desire that raced down his spine at her tone. She was not one to easily be cowed. He found that even more appealing.

The strange gurgling of the inhabitants stirred the air. The blonde human and the remaining Kiliti stared each other down. The leader, slightly more grey than the rest, made a strange squishing sound before commanding the rest to circle the female.

A dark skinned human, called attention to herself by giving a fair imitation of their sounds. The leader of the group stilled and looked unsure.

Maelrok motioned to his linguistics officer. Vaebn, was of a lower ranking house but had proved both loyal and useful. Therefore Maelrok was confident in his ability to decipher the strange tongues of other species.

"Translate," he ordered imperiously.

"Yes, Sub-commander," Vaebn gazed intently on the scene before him. Romulans possessed an excellent sense of hearing. This proved even further, that they were the superior race of the galaxy.

"The human," his eyes landed on the dark-skinned beauty, "states that the Kiliti have harmed their _Uttagrub_ or healer. The Kiliti Leader expresses that by their customs this is taboo. Taboo or forbidden. I am uncertain which meaning the human is using."

Maelrok gave a sigh of displeasure. So many things could be lost in translation.

"Continue."

"The human continues to state that it is in their culture to defend friends, relatives, and… mates," Vaebn gave a slight nod at the last part.

A sense of ire filled him. If the female already possessed a mate, that could be problematic. Not a large problem, but one he might have to deal with in the future.

Maelrok noticed that the Leader wiggled his tail slightly, the white speckles nearly dancing at the movement.

"The Leader states that if the _stubborn born_ female is time-mate to the male, than she is worth keeping for her defense of him."

They pair of Romulans watched as the slug beings withdrew and began to file out in a single line.

"The Leader warns that they will kill her, correction, kill all of them if another is attacked by the humans," Vaebn finished.

"Dismissed," the Sub-commander rumbled in a bored tone.

He continued to stare at the cluster of humans, accessing their strengths and any weaknesses. It was too soon to tell if there would be a way to exploit them for his use. If he were cunning enough, he might be able to free his men from this frozen purgatory.

It was then, with the commotion over for the moment, the blonde female turned and looked directly at him.

He felt his heart quicken at the sight of her lovely sapphire eyes. They sparkled under the dying light of sun. The wind blew gently causing him to shiver in spite of himself. Her hair, so exotically colored to him, ruffled in the breeze. He watched as she gently laid a hand on the male that had been struck, her pale fingertips tracing his bruise lightly. She then helped the male to stand. Her head turned toward Maelrok once more. Then their eyes met, as he was certain she had sensed him watching her, and then her lips quirked into a small but unsure smile.

And, Maelrok found himself smitten.

Before he was aware of the action, his numbed legs had moved him slightly closer to the human cluster. She stared at him, eyes unblinking, but not yet wary. Maelrok could not comprehend how he came to stand before her. A male, slightly taller than the object of his lust, glowered at him.

"Be nice Bones," she murmured firmly but at the same time gently. "We need all the help we can get at this point."

He thought she was pragmatic, as well as lovely.

It was in that moment, he decided that he would have her. Though he had already been half-convinced that he wanted her from the moment he saw her, all he truly needed to do was smile and be charming. She would be putty in his hands. He would take great joy in molding her into what would please him the most.

It was not vanity to say that Maelrok was a rather handsome example of his species. His eyebrows where not overly prominent on his visage, and his smile had been known to make a Ferengi honest.

For a time, at least.

He had a strong chin, and rather pleasing features. His face was unmarred, despite years of service and a penchant for physical altercations. Maelrok was tall, and when the mood struck him… generous. Both in the giving of gifts and in bed. He would use the latter talents to have the human woman begging at his feet to be his consort.

It was already decided.

His dark eyes landed on the male human closest to the blonde female. He was unimpressed. However, that was fortunate for the male. Maelrok would not have to crush him in order to eliminate threats on his plans to possess the woman. However, he would still have to determine if the pair was actually mated.

"_Ekhesai, Veisa vihroi_?" His tone was pleasant, and he assumed manners might prove more favorable for him to woo her.

Not that it would take all that much, when he put his mind to it.

She arched a brow at him.

"I. Don't. Speak. Romulan," she said slowly. He watched her lips form each word, and thought it his right to do so.

He listened to her standard, and nodded once to grace her with his understanding. She was not yet aware how fortunate she was that he was a patient and understanding man of military prowess. He straightened himself up to his full height. It would do her well to be properly in awe of him from the start.

"I am Sub-commander Maelrok of the Romulan Star Empire," his voice was strong and self-assured. "And who might you be?"

She gave him a quick once over.

"Not interested."

"_Be nice Bones_," the male mimicked in a high pitch. It was a very poor imitation of her voice, but Maelrok couldn't help but notice the elbow that landed in the man's midsection causing him to utter an 'oof'.

His lips had quirked into a grin before he was able to stop himself.

"Well, 'Not interested', I suppose it would be pointless to suggest a temporary alliance between our two races for the purpose of getting off this despicable planet."

The female tilted her head to the side, as if appraising his words. He watched her take in their surroundings and his men huddled together for warmth. He watched as she bit her lips, a gesture of contemplation, as she looked over her own people. They shivered in the chill, several already turning different colors.

Humans…

He could see the decision playing out on her face with something akin to amusement.

"Don't believe him Jim, he's a Romulan for crying out loud. They thrive off of backstabbing!" The male human hissed in a strange accent.

Well, that was true so Maelrok chose not to take offense to the remark. However, he now knew the female's name was Jim.

Odd, but that sounded like a man's name.

She waivered and he could almost see her relent, if only out of curiosity. Curiosity was often the greatest flaw of all sentient species.

Except for the Romulans, of course.

"What would you have me do here Bones? It's not as if allies are pouring out of the wood work for us," she shot back with one hand on her hip, her face showing clear agitation.

The 'Bone' man snorted before stating in a perfectly serious manner, "Shoot him."

She rolled her eyes at the remark. "Yeah, let me just grab that phaser I don't have."

Human males were not nearly as impressive as the females, Maelrok noted absently. He could hardly understand how the species had made it this far.

It did not escape his notice that the Bone man glared at him, and tried his valiant best to look intimidating.

"You leave her alone you green-blooded troglodyte," he growled.

"Am I supposed to act surprised or frightened at this point? I can hardly ever recall which effect you humans are looking for," the Romulan replied half-delighted for some sort of open aggression he could carry out.

"You-!"

Maelrok waved a hand in dismissal. "Yes, yes, I know. I'm properly frightened," he stated balefully, "I assure you."

This male was no threat; therefore he need not pay him a moment's attention longer than needed.

"If he still possessed his medical kit, you would be," Jim stated off-handedly.

The male had the unmitigated gall to gloat from beside her.

Challenge accepted.

Her sapphire eyes gave him a quick glance, and he felt his resolve to have her strengthen. She turned quickly, and out of her rosy lips he heard her spout off in rapid human tongue. Maelrok was vaguely aware that there were several languages among her kind and could not quite place which one she was using.

He cut his gaze back to Vaebn, who was listening intently. Maelrok made a mental note to give praise to the young man in the future for his vigilance without being asked. His attention was quickly called to a slim, but somehow still stout man with a heavy rumbling accent.

He watched Jim and the older man in gold exchange a dialogue for a moment longer. Then the male stepped forward toward him, his red hair also catching Maelroks interest. Humans were somewhat exotic he supposed.

Maelrok still thought the males were ugly and not at all refined the way his own kind were. The females were not hard on the eyes though. He gave a mental grin at Jim, with her wide and expressive eyes.

"I'm Captain Montgomery of the USS Hemingway," his thick brogue made understand his Standard a little difficult, but nothing Maelrok could not handle.

"You are not the Captain?" He queried of the object of his desire.

She shook her head and a few stray strands of hair fell from her hair arrangement. He believed that they called it the' Hooarses tail'. It was a strange Terran custom, he thought, to name styles after animals. He let it pass as a summer breeze passed through the dessert.

Captain Montgomery stepped in front of her, a protective gesture that crossed a host of cultural barriers. Maelrok appraised the man without emotion. He could be constituted as a mild threat were they to make it back to their ships. However, such an occurrence had not happed yet and he would worry about such a problem when it came and not before. It was prudent to think in terms of the future, but not think so far ahead that you could not see space for the stars.

"She is my Chief Engineer," he almost growled and Maelrok was not deterred.

Then it clicked in his head, that she was valuable. If he could take their lead Engineer, then he could disable the Federation ship as they scrambled to find someone to take her place. The smile of a predator stretched across his face. If he could secure them, then there could very well be a promotion in his future.

Besides taking the human for a consort.

"And it starts," the gruff male whispered to the darker skinned female.

The other female looked amused. However, they both received a heated glare from Jim, and the darker female nudged the male in the ribs.

His superior hearing caught the words easily, and they were fools not to guard their speech more closely. It was like snatching a valued item from the pitiful grasp of an infant. His attention switched back to the human captain.

"Then my offer for a truce still stands," he offered charmingly.

"With a smile like that, you know he's going to murder us while we sleep," the Bone grumped in irritation.

Actually he had not even thought about it… until now.

"That is enough Dr. McCoy." The Captain snapped out in irritation.

Though he quieted, Maelrok could still see the look of pure mistrust stamped on the Medical Officer's features. Well, at least one of the others was intelligent. However, that was nothing more than a nuisance right now as he wanted the human cooperation and needed them for cannon fodder.

It is useful to be diplomatic, he thought sagely, and to consider all options.

"Aye, we ar' hard pressed to accep' such an offer," The human captain stated with some misgivings. "For the time bein', consider us yur allies. Should ya decide to cross us however… weel I kina say it will end well for yue."

The threat stood clearly between them, and Maelrok gave an indulgent smile before he nodded his acceptance.

"But of course Captain Montgomery," he continued generously, "there is no need for animosity between us, surely."

"Yeah, that doesn't just scream 'evil'," Jim muttered under her breath.

Maelrok laughed at her comment. He would like her spirit put to better use, mainly for his physical pleasures. However, she was not without her worth in keeping him entertained with her intelligence. Such a level for a human was a little startling.

"You do not trust me?" He asked in open curiosity.

"About as far as I could throw you," she quipped back.

"Well, you Terrans are a puny lot. I doubt you could throw me all that far, but your lack of trust wounds me Jim."

"You can call me James," she crossed her arms in front of her; "we are strangers after all."

"Not for long," he corrected.

Not for long at all.

"Jim," the Bone man interrupted with a growl, "we'd better get you started."

Maelrok perked up in interest. Started? Upon what, he wondered, when their Captain and I have not discussed any plans for escape.

Jim turned her attention to her captain, and Maelrok watched her glance at him before spouting off rapidly in that human tongue once more.

Their antics amused him greatly.

OoOoOo

Honestly, the darker terran should be flattered that he was even speaking to her. Had his communications officer known more on Terran customs, which Maelrok would punish him for later, then he would not even deem to speak to her.

"_Veisa phralae 'Ssaed daekr hrian Ailhun,hisl hrian oelh' hrrau Terran_?" He rumbled unfazed.

The human frowned at him, before smiling slightly. Maelrok thought nothing of it, though his guard was up, he had been trying to charm the female.

"I'm a chauvinist that doesn't understand human customs," she stated rapidly in the human language he had little knowledge of.

It sounded oddly exotic.

"_Fhaen phralae rawn_," he commanded boldly.

"With pleasure," the female stated in standard.

Maelrok spent twenty minutes getting the pronunciation correct. The human language still sounded like under-developed hounds baying, but in a pleasant way when Jim spoke.

She would, of course, learn_ Rhiannsu_ to please him.

And the future heir to his noble house would be raised without even the tiniest bit of Terran influence. He was certain that once Jim understood her place, her good fortune, and her duties; she would be all ease and delight in giving up her moderately-evolved ape…that is to say, _human_ ways. Indeed there was only the glory of his house, his pleasure, and their future offspring to enrich her life.

She should count herself the luckiest female alive.

After giving a quick thanks to the darker Terran, Maelrok sought Jim out on the other side of the large enclosure. She was busy trying to tamper with the power source connections that kept their cage electrified to deadly levels.

He almost was tempted to tell her it was a waste of time because he had already tried, and there was simply no way a human could succeed where he had failed.

He tapped her lightly on the shoulder, and she turned to him with a questioning look. With pride, because he had shown how wonderful of a husband he could be by learning something in human speech, repeated what the other female had translated for him.

Word for word, his inflection was perfect. He was certain.

It took a moment, as her blonde brows rose in shock. The weight of his words processed by her admittedly impressive intellect; which was almost on par with his own, he waited for her response.

No one was more surprised than he when she began to laugh.

He didn't understand why Jim was laughing, but he had given her permission to be excited. Perhaps, this was how humans showed joy for being given such a high honor, as marriage to a Romulan Sub-commander?

"I'm sorry," Jim stated with a sparkle in her eyes that distracted him, "but could you say that one more time?"

He obliged her.

She continued to show her mirth, until tears gathered in her eyes. He watched as she wiped them away. Her smile was in full bloom, as she patted him on the shoulder.

He found himself distracted by the warmth that radiated from her touch. Though cooler in temperature in comparison to a Romulan, Maelrok felt his skin tighten against the contact in delight. She was far warmer than this practical tundra.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, "that is the best thing I have heard all week."

His attention cut back over to the grinning female in front of him. He tried his best not to ogle her over-much. Yet, she had just been claimed as his consort, so _technically_ it was his right. In his mind, he could see her face flush with delight at the life they would share together. He could invision her with his child, whispering softly to him or her in Rhiannsu. She would see to his meals, and other creature comforts. He in turn would provide well for her.

It was perfect.

Naturally, he thought sagely, being with him for the rest of her life would be the best. And, he found himself arrogantly pleased that she had the intelligence to thank him. Though, her gratitude was not all he wanted from her.

Oh no, far from it.

OoOoOo

He found out later that the darker Terran had made a mistake in her translation, for Jim was under the impression she was not his consort.

She was even under the impression that she could _refuse_ him.

The very thought was absolutely ludicrous.

She had been hanging around the Bone man far too much. He had, of course, sought to correct her behavior. His consort could not be seen engaging in flirtatious conversations with, what was for all intents and purposes, a soon to be corpse.

In fact he already mimicked one well, as he was sleeping near her feet as she worked.

He did not take well to the idea of sharing his heart's longing. When he had corrected her, she had simply stood there with her mouth agape.

"Your what?" Her eyes were wide with what he assumed was awe.

"You are my consort, and must act accordingly," He stated arrogantly with his chest puffed slightly out.

She laughed in disbelief for a moment. She puffed warm air on her freezing hands, and glanced at him a few more times.

"I'm not your consort," she finally replied when she understood he was serious.

"Yes, you are," he corrected arrogantly, "it is a great honor I place on you."

She frowned at him. That was a strange reaction to the Romulan. Did she not realize her good fortune? He was a superior mate to any human she could possibly find. He was _Romulan._

She shook her head. "I am beginning to understand that a lot of species define the word 'honor' differently." She sighed, before turning back to her work.

He was unaffected by her apparent refusal to speak with him any longer.

"Be that as it may, you are my consort," he insisted.

"Uh, no. No, I'm not."

He watched a spark fly from off the panel as she tried to maneuver half-frozen fingers over the sensitive electronic connections.

"Shoot… wrong one," she hissed as she pulled her hand slightly away to avoid burning it.

"You are," he ground out growing angry. This was not up for discussion, it was already decided. What was so hard for her to understand about that?

She shook her head in denial again. Then her blue eyes glared at him from over her shoulder as she hunched down to begin work on the next port.

"Look, I'm a little busy here."

"This is a waste of time Jim," he snapped out in irritation, "I will rescue us. Then you will be my consort and bear the heir to my House."

Her face was incredulous.

He did not understand why.

"Let me think about that," she said coyly, tilting her head to the side, "hm. Thought about it. The answer is no."

He blinked as if she had struck him. What was this? Some human jest?

"That does not amuse me Jim," he growled out. She was not to act out like this in front of his men, who he was certain, could hear every word. For one of his men snickered. The punishment for that would be severe indeed. He knew she would be more obedient once she was away from the rest of the humans. It would not be so hard to train her.

Well, perhaps a touch more difficult than a decently bred Romulan woman but not overly difficult.

His Jim had much to learn, and he would see to it that she learned. She was vastly more intelligent than any other human he had come across. Her tinkering with engines he would generously allow to continue after their union for three Romulan years, after which it was the time for begetting an Heir for his house.

He glowered at her. It was best to take a firm hand to this situation while it was still fresh.

"Cease your willfulness. You belong to me, and we are both aware of this."

That caused her to stand as if touched by a live wire. Turning, she placed a hand on her hip and furrowed her brows at him.

"No, _we_ are not both aware of this," she hissed at him, her beautiful eyes ready to spear him.

"Little Terran," he said patiently, for he was the epitome of Romulan patience, "You know very well that it is I that will own you." He leered at her attractive figure slowly. "It is I that will heat your blood and have you begging for more."

"Me?" Anger poured off her in waves. "Begging? Oh you are out of your damn mind."

She nudged the gruff male companion with her boot.

"We have a Romulan presenting with the symptom of Delusions. Check him for hypothermia," she half-joked.

Maelrok was not pleased by her words or actions.

The bone man grunted like the evolved ape he was. "I'm not touching the devil spawn," he stated with a slow drawl.

Now that was rude, by any species' standard. He was not devil spawn, though many of the _Rihanh_ would agree with him because his mother had been part of the _Tal'Shiar_.

Perhaps the point was moot.

She laughed at his words. Maelrok was beginning to like the Bone man even less. And, he had not previously thought that possible.

"This is not funny Jim," Maelrok ground out in irritation.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not trying to be funny, you stubborn Romulan."

She thought _him_ stubborn? The woman could very well write a novel on the concept. He was the very epitome of patience, he should be considered a… what did the humans call it? A santé? Satin? Saint?

Ah, that was it. A Saint!

"You try my patience, little Terran."

"…And? That's supposed to be important to me how?"

Maelrok wanted to throttle her suddenly. The female was utterly maddening! He simply had to have her. But, he already knew she belonged to him. He had already decided she would be his consort, and if his men did not quit snickering he was going to teach them a lesson in discipline.

This whole endeavor had gone much smoother in his mind.

She was supposed to be overcome with joy and gratitude that he, a Sub-commander, had gifted her the honor of being his bride.

What was so hard for her to understand about that?

"You will come with me this instant," he hissed, his face contorting in anger.

The Bone man chose a poor time to intervene.

"Now you just hold on a minute, you green-blooded ogre," the strange twang of his words was abrasive to Maelrok's ears. "Don't you _ever_ speak to her like that."

Said female gave a quick smile of appreciation to her would-be rescuer.

Not that she needed rescuing. Clearly she was succumbing to the sub-optimal temperatures because she _belonged_ to Maelrok. It was not to be borne. This grand indignity she was subjecting him to. Maelrok was only half aware when his fist smashed into the scowling face of the Bone man. Vividly red blood splattered lightly on the snow as the human went down.

The Romulan's satisfaction did not last long, for out of nowhere it seemed, he was inundated with a flurry of blows from a furious blonde. What she called him, Maelrok was not entirely sure but he did understand that it was far from flattering.

Nor was the delicate fist that neatly knocked him backward for the third time. The female hit like a Romulan Miner.

The sounds of their captor's shouts alerted Maelrok to a larger possible threat. Deftly, he locked Jim's arm behind her with a sharp pull and she was left pressed against his body. That part was actually rather wonderful and satisfying in itself. Her breathing was rapid, and he absently noted the puffs of breath that clouded in the air.

"Let go of me you-"

"Hush Jim," he commanded urgently, "our dear captors are coming to see the commotion."

She stilled against him instantly. Her blue eyes gazed up at him, as she cranked her neck to judge his words. She must have seen his sincerity, for she turned in his arms and huddled against him. Her face shifted from anger to adoration, and he was left more confused than before.

"Just play along," she whispered between them as the gate to their enclosure was pulled open. The touch of her cool lips against him, nearly knocked the breath out of Maelrok.

His head began to cloud with the pent-up lust he held for the female. He growled low in his throat. It might be an act for the sake of their captors, but even the chill of the wind could not penetrate the haze of warmth that permeated his brain from her touch. Her scent was soft, and somehow clean despite being unable to use a sonic shower from before being captured.

If one were to ignore the smell of synthetic lubricant on her person from her tinkering with their cage.

Her lips parted slightly, and it was all the invitation he needed to delve his tongue into her moist mouth. It was paradise, and he longed to do far more than taste her. He wanted to possess her. He needed to show her whom it was that she belonged to. It was the greatest pleasure he could recall.

Right up until she bit him.

Maelrok recoiled and tore his mouth away from hers.

It was then, with the throbbing pain in his tongue, that he noticed the Kiliti making their way towards them. Instinctively, he pushed Jim behind him. He could feel her glaring at his back.

They garbled at him, the three that had breached their enclosure. If Maelrok had been in possession of his vessel, he would have destroyed them. And, their planet as well out of spite.

The darker Terran had taken the time to rush toward Jim. Her face held a worried expression. Maelrok found that to be absurd. He was right here to protect her. Jim was a very fortunate woman.

"They want to know if you have changed your… time-mate," the linguist whispered.

"I don't have a time-mate," Jim hissed out lowly.

Maelrok stared down the Kiliti males angrily.

"You do now," he argued without turning to face the females.

"The hell she does," the Bone man gasped in outrage.

Maelrok's dark glower was reserved for the impudent human male that had foolishly chosen to speak again. How unfortunate it was that he had regained consciousness.

The leader garbled something at him. He puffed his chest slightly and gave a quick glance to make sure Jim was staying put.

The linguist interpreted quickly.

"He says that fighting over the female, that's you Jim-"

"Yeah, I got that…" she bit out acerbically.

"-Is not their concern," the linguist continued on, "however, there will be no slaying of an opponent. It would be… bad for their… peace talks."

"Somehow, I doubt they used the word 'peace'," Jim grumbled.

"It's as close a translation as I can give," the darker terran snapped back.

Maelrok decided it was time to end this foolishness.

"Female, tell him there will be no slayings… yet."

"I have a name you know," the linguist ground out.

"Yes, and I'm sure I do not care what it is. Now translate."

He could hear the female's jaw clench, but she did as she was bid. She and the Kiliti exchanged a few more warbled notes, and they left with glares aimed at all of their captives. Maelrok was unimpressed.

"Damn it Jim!" The bone man exclaimed. "Why in the seven circles of hell did you have to catch the eye of that _thing?"_

"Well, it will be a cold day in hell before I go anywhere near him again," she stated with a decisive nod, "You can count on that."

Hell came three hours later, when the sun went down.

His men pulled into an even tighter huddle, and the humans had down much the same. Maelrok stood partially frozen against the chill. He was outside the group of his men. Their golden skin turned slightly gray by cold. He would stand ever-vigilant over them. It was his duty to his men, and to Imperial fleet.

He was Romulan and would not bend, especially not when the sapphire eyes of his future consort were watching him as they had been for a while. First she had been suspicious, and he had thought that superfluous as she belonged to him. Whether she liked it or not.

Then as the first hour had passed, she had grown curious as well as concerned. He conceded that it was growing harder to keep his body from shivering as the temperature plunged even lower. The Kiliti guards had come to jeer at them in a primitive language he cared not understand.

He was going to kill them, after all.

By the third hour, she was glaring at him again. Though to her credit, she did alternate the glare with looks of worry.

He knew she secretly cared.

He had attempted to get her to admit to her new status as his consort an additional 12 times without success. By the last time she was ranting at him in her native tongue. And, though it sounded strangely exotic when she called him a 'Deerang-ed Romulan moore-on', he honestly had no idea what those words translated to in Standard.

Maelrok guessed she was nearly overcome with joy at belonging to him. Though the Bone man grew more irate with each passing minute, Maelrok could not be bothered to stop until the darkness begun to loom on the horizon.

He was staring blindly forward, acutely aware of the snow all around him as his breaths grew shorter. By Temherifv, the city of his birth, this planet was cold!

He was mentally cursing the ancestors of the Slug people and their bane of a planet, when the crunching of snow caught his attention. Before he realized it, Jim was in front of him. Her face flushed from the low temperature and her nose an adorable shade of pink.

He stared at her in silence.

"Why aren't you with your men staying warm?" She asked the question without preamble and a curious lack of bite.

He decided to humor her. "I must be the example to my men," he stated it as a fact, because to Maelrok it was.

"So watching you freeze to death is supposed to boost your men's morale?"

He snorted at her lack of understanding. Romulans had a much different concept of honor than Humans.

"It is what must be done."

She shook her head at him. "If you die, who will look after your men?"

"I will not die."

"You sound awfully sure about that," she looked half-amused, "however, unless there is something you aren't telling me, Romulans can still succumb to hypothermia."

He did not see why she needed to point that out. His sheer will alone would keep him living long enough to destroy his enemies.

"Romulans must be the strong moral compass that guides all future generations into the glory of combat and victory," his voice was impassioned by his firm belief. "We must never show weakness to an enemy, nor mercy. Our Empire shall shake the ages and withstand all time. We are too valuable to cheapen by allowing for such concerns of the flesh. These slug abominations shall know what it truly means to see _Romulan _courage."

She glanced over at his men, unimpressed. She obviously did not know value when she saw it.

"Yet your men are trying _not_ to freeze by keeping warm together."

"That is inconsequential."

"No, that is being smart."

"I am showing the marvel that is Romulan resolve."

"No, that is being stupid," she quipped in a dead-pan manner.

"It is not _stupid_," he hissed in outrage, "it is holding fast to our traditions."

"So, being stupid but blaming your people for it? Clever."

He glared at her. "You wouldn't understand being _human_."

She grinned at him. "You're right being part of a species that is thousands of years younger than yours but surpassing it in every conceivable way… I have no idea what you mean to accomplish by dying in the snow."

His pride stung. "_Ice _and snow. The least you could do is pay attention."

She laughed, and her eyes danced in merriment.

By the Empire he wanted her.

"No, the least I can do is to keep you from killing yourself in this pig-headed fashion."

Well, he wasn't sure what a pig was but he guessed it was not flattering. He eyed her speculatively for a moment, with the cold threatening to bore into his very bones.

"You greatly enjoy saying 'no'," he observed dryly.

Her lips quirked into a mischievous smile as she pressed closer to him. The scent of her nearly took away his resolve. She was so close, so unknown. Her intelligence was intoxicating to him. The playful banter between them like none he had ever known before.

"You know," she said kindly, "telling you 'no' just seems right for some reason."

Maelrok hardly heard her for he was too busy feeling the warmth nearly pouring off her skin as they shivered together in the night air of Kilithous Prime.

OoOoOo

"No, Maelrok," Jim stated with amusement as the Third day dawned cold and clear.

"What do you mean 'no'?" He asked in true surprise. They had stayed up all night talking about their lives. Jim had even confided in him her love of warp cores. This was hardly surprising as she was the Chief Engineer for her crew. For now, he amended in his thoughts. She even spoke highly of some sort of Dylithium crystals.

Honestly, he had stopped listening for a while because he was too drawn in by her sweet lips moving. The sparkle in her eyes led him to distraction, as her excitement over the subject caused her to be even more vibrant. So, it was partially her fault when his hands had wandered to her body at one point during the night.

She had promptly slapped his hands away.

Though he had grinned at the time, his desire was straining to nearly painful. He needed to get out of here and soon. He wasn't certain he could wait to have her much longer.

"I mean no. As in 'No, I won't be your consort'," she replied with emphasis.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to? Because our races are enemies? Oh, or how about the fact that I am a Starfleet officer? Really, you can take your pick."

He glowered at her stubbornness. The woman was too infuriating for words! She still made his blood boil, which he was fairly certain, was the only thing keeping his appendages in working order at this point.

OoOoOo

It came long before he was ready to react. The cold had dampened his senses, and perhaps hunger was getting the best of him. Maelrok would not have been surprised at this point. However, what ended up astounding him was the Human crew. He had thought them utterly useless.

He was quickly beginning to reevaluate that assumption.

It was the annoying male pestilence that was 'Bones' had managed to help free them, shortly after the change in guard. Maelrok's pride would never recover from such a blow. He had agreed to help Jim in her idiotic scheme to trick the Kiliti.

Granted, it did not seem so idiotic now that he was free.

However, he was going to have to wash the taste of Male human spittle from his mouth thanks to their 'resuscitation'. Jim had presented the idea poorly, for it had sounded as if she would be the one giving resuscitation to him.

He would discuss that with her later.

Maelrok was still irritated by the cold, but his men had faithfully followed him on the coattails of the Human escape. In all sincerity, he had not thought Jim could surge the power source that kept them confined enough to trip the device into resetting.

Also, he wanted to ask her, when he found the time, where she had been hiding her calibration tools so the guards did not find them.

His men had been lead through the camp with minimal fuss. There had been several casualties already for the Kiliti. A few by his own hands. They had overwhelmed the three fresh guards that had been assigned to watch them. They had split the weapons among the groups. One was given to the Romulan crew to use as the maneuvered back to their vessel, and another for the crew of the _USS Hemingway_. The last one, Jim had snatched up before loudly declaring she would disable the false distress signal and release the controls that would undoubtedly be preventing their ships from escaping.

The plan was simple for the most part. The respective crews would make their way to the correct vessel, and defend it until such a time that the ships were cleared to take off. Then, Jim would be collected and they would part ways.

Maelrok was not in favor of this for he did not believe that his Jim could defend against so many Kiliti.

OoOoOo

"You ever have that moment, where you think everything is out to get you?" She laughed and he turned to look at her.

Maelrok simply sighed in exasperation. They were about to be executed and still Jim stood there with a cocky grin and a sparkle in her eyes. They had been able to sneak their way in, with few interruptions and he had guarded the door as Jim set about wreaking havoc on the Kiliti systems.

How she could comprehend their technology, he was not entirely certain. Maelrok could easily admit that she was a true delight to watch with her skin flushed by the stress and excitement of the situation. They had even managed to get back out of the compound, only to be seen and cornered by some of the remaining Kiliti guard that had not been captured in the enclosure where they had been kept.

She could see the ring of Kiliti surrounding them, couldn't she?

It was almost as if the woman had never heard of a "no-win" situation.

He watched her smile. It was a slow and beautiful smile, though he could not understand what exactly caused her to think they had the upper hand surrounded by the Kiliti.

"I'm willing to bet," she said almost sweetly, "that if you are using this weapon on us, that it hurts you too. Most species use what works the best on themselves first. It's a common thought process. 'It hurts me, it must hurt you' sort of thing."

Maelrok noticed them begin to gurgle in unease.

Her blue eyes flashed in understanding, not at the words but at the unrest her speech caused.

"I'm also willing to bet, that even though you live on a nearly frozen planet, that you are mostly liquid. Your viscosity, according to my dear friend Bones, indicates as much. So then, I am also willing to bet that one blast from this little freeze-gun will hurt you. Possibly kill you. "

She waggled a finger in reproach at them.

"After all, it is chemical based, isn't it? I can tell by the looks on your faces it is. That means the reaction time is _much_ quicker on your physiology. Because, I mean, who wants to wait around for an enemy to die? Right?"

The leader stilled at her tone.

"However, what you didn't bother to learn is that I am an Engineer. This means I know a great deal about technology. The technology of my species and that of several others…this includes yours. It's different; I'll give you that, but not out of the scope of my knowledge. "

With that, James gave a small shake of her head. It disturbed Maelrok on some level that she was scolding them akin to how a mother scolds a foolish child.

It was downright… what had the Bone man called it? Creepy?

"What is your point female?" The leader queried roughly in what little Standard they had gleamed from their captives' interactions.

"My _point,_" she stressed almost playfully, "is that I had the time and ability to make this thing 100 times more deadly."

The slug creature quivered at her words, so plainly spoken.

"We would kill you before you could kill us all," he insisted quickly.

The blonde tilted her head to the side, a smile of pure satisfaction painted her lips.

"Who said I had to be alive to take you all with me?"

Maelrok felt his eyes widen in understanding. He glanced at the Kiliti weapon to hear a strange pinging sound. His eyes landed on a foreign symbol blinking on the gun.

Jim was practically purring with pride.

"I hope you can run."

The Kiliti leader roared as comprehension dawned. His men practically flew in all different directions in their haste to get as far away from the device as possible.

Maelrok felt a sense of keen pity that James would never know the pleasure of having him for a mate.

It was truly lamentable.

"It was a true honor to know you, James," he stated with quiet conviction.

She snapped her gaze to him.

"What are you talking about?" She asked with heavy confusion.

"The device in your hands…," he started unsurely, "it's going to explode and kill us. Isn't it not?"

She looked appalled. "Good God no! I was just bluffing with them." She waved a hand dismissively in their direction. "Speaking of which, we should probably run before they come back."

He was so shocked he nearly fell over.

"Bluffing? But the beeping-"

"Oh, that. I just messed with the firing mechanism. It locks the stupid thing down so that it malfunctions and makes the noise." She shook the thing for good measure and pulled on the trigger several times. "See?"

He fought the growing wave of anger threatening to overwhelm him. His dark gaze pierced her.

"You just defended us with a weapon that doesn't work."

She had the audacity to blink at him.

"Yes."

"You took our _only_ means of defense, and rendered it useless. On purpose," he growled slowly.

"And your point is?"

"I believe that _is_ the point!"

She shrugged. "It worked did it not? Now, back to my original idea… running. Now!"

With that, Maelrok was left staring at her retreating form as she sprinted the last bit of distance to their ships. The guards would soon be back when the device failed to explode. With a mighty sting of curses, Maelrok followed after her.

He was beginning to think this female was insane.

His longer legs caught up to her easily. They ran down crumbling ice patches. More than once, the pair stumbled until Jim lost her footing and careened into him. His denser frame could not stop them from tumbling down a snowy slope to come to a chilling stop in a large embankment.

"I have met a stubborn human or two in my time in command, but you are by far the worst of the lot. Who do you think you are?" He snarled, his pride having taken quite a blow from this female's constant rejections coupled with saving his life.

Her hair was covered with snow, giving her a sweet look as her face reddened slightly from the cold. Her blue eyes flashed at him in such a way that heat pooled in his loins and all his mind could think of was ways to justify taking her right there in the snow.

"I think I'm James T. _Fucking_-_Kirk_," she hissed at him as she pushed away to stand. Her body trembled from adrenaline and cold.

It hit him with the force of a disruptor blast. Maelrok's mind jumped from one moment of memory to the next.

There had been chatter among the spies that the Federation ships were becoming more advanced. There had been a wild rumor that a single human by the name of Kirk could very well be changing the way Federation ships traveled. Though details on how were obscured or few and far between. In fact it was to some embarrassment of the Empire, that no one could exactly put a face to this Kirk fellow.

Records indicated that Kirk was a male that had taken the Starfleet Academy by storm. There had also been a grievance filed involving Kirk and a Professor's canine companion. Maelrok had researched that a 'Canine' was a mammal that was common of Terra with several dozen species known.

She was James Kirk. Though, he thought absently, the records had not mentioned a hyphenated last name of 'Fucking-Kirk'. He made a mental note to add that later. James Kirk was the human that had caused great unrest among his people for they knew not what the human could do. James Kirk was not a male. James Kirk was here, right in his grasp. His hand shot out and snaked her to him, as he crushed her to his side. He could feel the warmth that radiated from her and it seemed like a beacon in this desolate land of ice.

His breath was visible between the two of them. He puffed as if he had run a great distance, but it was excitement and disbelief lighting along his every fiber of his being. She was, he realized in a daze, his way to make his house exalted in the Empire. He could well climb up to a seat in Council.

She struggled against him. "Unhand me you Romulan son of a –"

Maelrok decided that he loved it when she was feisty. When she was so vibrant here in the desolate wilderness of this alien planet, he nearly considered her on par with attractiveness of a Romulan female.

He already knew she was not without worth, but now she was far more than simply a consort.

His lips descended on hers before she had room to draw the next breath. Her soft lips parted in surprise, and he very nearly plundered their sweet depths. He found himself rudely interrupted by the call of a communicator.

He tore his mouth from Jim's with a great sense of sadness.

"Maelrok here," He answered harshly, his gaze raking up and down her face.

She blinked at him mutely.

"Sir, we have reached the ship and are prepared to bring you aboard," his first officer's voice crackled slightly through the device.

He licked his lips, savoring her delicious taste. "Ready for two to beam aboard."

She reacted like a wild woman to his statement; she brought her foot down hard on his in step causing him to curse her ancestors. She then summarily destroyed his lust by pushing him bodily into the snow. The icy embrace did nothing for his temperament.

Nor the part where she wiped the back of her hand across her lips in obvious disgust.

Really, that seemed uncalled for.

He had several female… companions… that could attest to his wonderful skills as a lover.

"James!" His roar of outrage carried across the snow she was currently racing upon. "Come back here at once!"

She gave him a hand gesture, one he could not understand. However, it was not hard to guess the meaning by her facial expression.

"No!"

He felt his jaw twitch as the familiar pull of the transporter overtook him. His vision instantly transferred to the transporter room of his ship, he angrily stomped off the platform, snowing clumping on the floor in his wake.

"Sub-Commander Sir-"

"Lock onto the life sign of the Human female down on the surface," he bit out hostilely.

His men snapped to do his bidding. The technician typed quickly at the console.

"Sir, there is no human signal on the surface," the technician hedged out cautiously.

They all jumped when he slammed his fist forcefully into the nearest wall with a shout of anger. His teeth were bared in fury. She had evaded him, which was simply unthinkable! She had refused him! The very thought caused his blood to boil in his veins. He wanted her; by the Empire he wanted her! James was rightfully his, claimed as a spoil of battle. To be treated as such.

What part of that was so hard for the human to understand?

He felt the ship as it climbed through the atmosphere rapidly to reach the safety of space. His mood growing more severe with each moment that passed.

With grim resolve he made his way to the bridge, his chair beckoned him. Maelrok eased into it with some of his confidence returning to light the frenzy to have her anew. His ship was more powerful than her Starfleet vessel. His dark eyes scanned the screen, watching the _USS Hemingway_ run from him as fast as its warp core would take it.

If she wanted to run, he would let her. His face split into a grin of amusement, dashing way his previous anger. Maelrok realized he had all the time in Romulus to chase her before they left the neutral zone. There were not ships scheduled to be in this area or within 50 thousand light years that he was aware of.

He leaned back in his chair, smugness evident in his features. When he caught her, she would be added to his bed and his house. She would be all he needed to gain a promotion and see his house's name into history.

His teeth gleamed under the florescent light.

"Lock onto the Kiliti compound," he barked the order out.

"Target locked, Sir."

"Fire at will."

"Yes, Sub-commander."

He closed his eyes and savored the swelling feeling of victory. He could almost hear the primitive slugs scream from the vacuum of space.

Oh how he relished the defeat of those lesser than him.

Speaking of which…

"Lock torpedoes onto the Federation ship," he said casually. Maelrok knew the Capabilities of his Vessel well. A plasma torpedo had the ability to follow a ship even in warp speed. He was counting on Captain Montgomery to be able to avoid the bulk of the damage. He wanted the infamous Kirk stranded, not killed.

She was of no use to him dead. And, it caused him some emotional discomfort to think of her as such.

"Sir?"

"Fire when ready."

James might be able to run, but had nowhere to hide. And, no one would come to her rescue this time.

He was certain of it.

"But do not kill them," he added as an afterthought.

With unseasoned soldiers, you had to be a little specific at times.

OoOoOo

**Translations:**

**Ekhesai, Veisa vihroi?**: Excuse me, what is your name?

**Veisa phralae ... hrrau Terran?: ** How do you say (whatever) in Terran?

**Ssaed daekr hrian Ailhun,hisl hrian oelh':** I choose to claim you as my Wife, I permit you to be excited. (Roughly translated)

**Fhaen phralae rawn**: Speak slower (speak more slowly)

**Rhiannsu**: The Romulan language.

**Hooarses** : Maelrok's mental pronunciation of Horse.

**Rihanh **: Romulan people as a whole, or the Nation of the Romulan People.

**Tal'Shiar**: Imperial Police


End file.
